Pass the Baton

Track and Field’s 4x100-meter race is a beautiful and precise picture of teamwork.

Four runners rely on each other to run full speed while fluidly passing the baton onto the next. After the start, one after the other demonstrates immense talent and agility as they gracefully slip a small baton into the next runner’s hand. But what would happen if the third runner never took off? The fourth and final runner would be waiting, unable to cross the finish line and finish the race.

God has entrusted and given us a baton of truth to pass along. It isn’t in the form of a plastic or aluminum baton, but in the form of a message: the Gospel. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus said to His disciples right before He ascended into heaven, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.” He wasn’t just giving this command to the disciples but to us, too! If you are a follower of Jesus, this command is for you.

Jesus is telling us to run this race of life and pass the baton of the Gospel to every person we meet. God’s plan is to use us to teach people about Him. We shouldn’t just pass the baton in church or FCA Huddles, but we should share the Gospel in the locker room, during practice, in workouts, pregame meals, and even between class times.

If we never share the Gospel with others, how will they hear it? It is just like the third runner never taking off to the fourth. If we carry God’s Good News with us daily, why would we not pass it off? Why would we keep a lifesaving message to ourselves? Let us run this race set before us and continue to pass off the baton, sharing the Good News of the Gospel for all to hear.

If it seems a bit scary to share the Gospel, Jesus encourages us in Matthew 28:20, saying, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Jesus is telling you to pass the baton, but He is also helping you do it!